


as we forgive those who have trespassed against us

by 1989



Category: The Book of Mormon - Parker/Stone/Lopez
Genre: Cute, Falling In Love, Flirting, Fluff, Humor, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Reincarnation, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-29
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-11 06:44:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13518696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1989/pseuds/1989
Summary: Kevin always worried about the concept of soulmates and whether or not he'd recognize his own upon meeting them. Needless to say, a mission hut in a country- no, an entirecontinenthe never expected to step foot on was truly the last place it should've happened, yet fate was strange and often unexplainable.





	as we forgive those who have trespassed against us

**Author's Note:**

> i've had this book since i was lil called the little soul and the sun and it inspired me to write something based around the idea of reincarnation and soulmates (: it's nothing like the book beyond the initial idea but i hope this is enjoyable regardless. also, this is different from other soulmate AU's in that they've known each other across multiple lives & once they meet again instantly "remember" one another, so to speak. things might seem a little rushed bc of this but i promise there's a logical explanation lmao. (8 enjoy!!!

Kevin never knew what to anticipate once he met his proverbial soulmate. He'd heard countless testimonies throughout his life, mainly from hopeless romantics, that the moment they met theirs was the most extraordinary feeling they'd come to experience. Many others claimed to feel a magnetic pull to someone passing by on the sidewalk, a fleeting glance with a stranger determining the rest of their lives.

Kevin, a curious and inquisitive child by nature, hounded his parents with questions on how he could possibly recognize them, to which he was told he simply _would._  This did nothing to quench his worries about not recognizing his soulmate, but, as he grew, eventually resigned to push these doubts aside and assure himself that he'd just know. Somehow.

That being said, Kevin- now addressed as Elder Price- didn't expect to meet his soulmate at such a pivotal time in his life, and _especially_  not after trudging to a mission hut in Uganda after a group of villagers remorselessly cursed the lord in his face.

As his new mission companion and self-proclaimed best friend waved goodbye to the kind girl who led them to their dwelling, Kevin drug a hand down his face and inhaled sharply.

"Something wrong, buddy?" Elder Cunningham, his companion, clapped him on the back and peered up at him expectantly. Kevin flinched a bit and recoiled back at the surprisingly strong pat. "No," he said, shaking his head swiftly and straighting his back. There wasn't really, despite the location, stolen luggage and looming threat of death by murder or dangerous animals. He could manage! "Let's just head inside."

Kevin opened the front door (which was frighteningly left unlocked) and peered into the seemingly empty space, while Elder Cunningham excitedly bounded in behind him. "Hello?" He called to no one in particular, eyeing the couch and chalkboard across the room. It was definitely the right place, if the numerous copies of the book that were scattered across the coffee table were of any indication.

"Oh! The new recruits are here!" A voice sang from an unknown room, and within a moment a young man about Kevin's height in a blue tie hurried in, followed by five others who were dressed identically to the two missionaries that just arrived.

Kevin's heart stopped the moment they made eye contact. Though he'd been doing it consecutively for nineteen years, the concept of breathing suddenly eluded him.

He... he _knew_  him, though he wasn't sure from where or precisely how. He'd certainly never met him on this plane of existence- he would've recognized the red hair- but an unmistakable feeling of nostalgia washed over him, strong enough that he offhandedly worried he might suffocate in it. He was bombarded by vague memories he couldn't pinpoint any specifics of, but claimed distinct ownership of regardless. But more powerful than all else was the overwhelming love his heart swelled with, along with the happiness that struck him like a ton of bricks, erasing any semblance of worry or irritation he'd previously felt. 

Kevin was knocked from his trance by a nudge in the side by Elder Cunningham, prompting him to quickly clear his throat. He didn't know how to address the situation, so he settled on choking out a lame "hello."

"Hi," the man greeted a little breathlessly, appearing equal parts taken aback and elated. Kevin didn't miss how he directed it solely towards him, not bothering to spare a glance in his companions direction. "Well, welcome! I'm Elder McKinley, current leader of district nine." He outstretched his hand and Kevin felt electricity shoot up his arm as he shook it. He wondered if the other elder felt it as well, and his suspicions were more or less confirmed when he glanced up at the warm, almost knowing grin he was given. 

" _Hi,"_ he repeated while looking into Kevin's eyes, his voice hushed yet brimming with excited energy. 

Elder McKinley visibly hesitated before letting go but ultimately moved to shake Elder Cunningham's hand, greeting him with a peppy "great to meet you!"

"This is all of us," he said, gesturing to the group of elders hanging behind him that looked only slightly off put by the odd behaviour demonstrated. They each introduced themselves with unwavering smiles and firm handshakes, and Kevin instantly decided that this was a much nicer welcoming than the previous one.

"How was your trip over?" The shortest of the bunch, a blonde man who introduced himself as PopTarts, asked. Kevin, who usually jumped at any given opportunity to complain, was too engrossed in staring at his district leader to process the question and faintly heard Elder Cunningham groaning about how crowded the plane was and the bus driver's tardiness.

"Well, it seems like you've both had an _awfully_  long journey!" Elder McKinley exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "How about I lead you two to your room while the others finish up washing the dishes? We can skip the pleasantries until tomorrow when you're more well rested."

A murmur of agreement arose from the elders while Kevin and his companion nodded eagerly, each for completely separate reasons. At that, Elder McKinley grabbed both their hands and began leading them towards a hallway of doors while the others lingered around the living room, obviously not interested in hopping on the chores anytime soon. 

Once they reached the vacant room, the district leader let go of Elder Cunningham's hand to twist the knob and click on a switch that enveloped the room in warm light, yet pointedly kept his fingers enclosed around Kevin's. "This is it!" he said, finally releasing Kevin's hand to gesture inside the room. 

"Woah!" Elder Cunningham exclaimed, his face lighting up as he brushed past Kevin and leapt inside. "It's small!" 

"It certainly is a bit...  _tiny,"_ Elder McKinley affirmed with a click of his tongue. "But luckily, lights go out at ten o'clock and we all rise at six o'clock sharp, so you won't be spending too much time cramped up in here." 

"Thank you, Elder McKinley," Kevin said, finally managing to summon his (albeit shaky) voice. 

"Of course," the district leader smiled at him in response. "May I have a quick word with you alone, Elder Price?"

Kevin shot a quick glance at his companion who was too captivated by the bedsheets to bother looking over before nodding enthusiastically. "Yeah, uh- that's fine," he replied, excitedly fidgeting with the end of his tie. "I'll be back in a moment," he called over his shoulder as he followed Elder McKinley out of the room. 

"Sure thing, bud!" Elder Cunningham replied distractedly, though Kevin could hardly hear him over the sound of his heart beating furiously. 

Elder McKinley brought him to a room adjacent to his, wedged between two others. As they hurried inside, Kevin noticed that it was humorously smaller than his own and only furnished a desk, bookcase and few chairs. 

"No one else is allowed in here, but just as a precaution," Elder McKinley said as he drug a chair out from the desk and stuck it under the doorknob. Under any normal circumstances Kevin would've heard alarms buzzing in his head, yet he felt strangely safe and comfortable around the other man- regardless of the incessant butterflies swarming in his chest. 

"The doors here don't lock," he explained meekly once he turned back around to face Kevin, who could only chuckle as he wondered why _._ A beat of silence passed between them as Kevin inhaled through bated breath and subconsciously took Elder McKinley's hand as if it were a reflex acquired over the course of many years. "So, you-" he paused as he swung their hands back and forth, feeling a joyful laugh bubble up in his throat. "You felt that too, right?" 

Tears seemed to instantaneously spring to Elder McKinley's eyes, which wasn't  _exactly_ the reaction Kevin had anticipated, but his watery grin assured him that it was from happiness. "Oh  _God,_ I missed you so much," he cried, flinging his arms around Kevin and hugging him tightly. Kevin was slightly confused since, to his knowledge, they'd never met, but was too focused on the warmth surrounding his entire being to ponder on it. 

They embraced with the fervor of a couple who hadn't seen one another for years- which Kevin assumed was likely the closest description of their relationship. Elder McKinley openly sobbed into his shoulder and Kevin clung to him like a lighthouse that magically materialized after a harrowing storm. He felt as though a hole inside him he hadn't known existed was filled, and began to also cry out of sheer joy. 

After a moment, Elder McKinley pulled away, leaving Kevin with an inexpressible feeling of loss, though he kept his hands firmly latched onto his shoulders. "Nope, I felt nothing whatsoever," he said sarcastically, doing a terrible job at joking through his tears. "I just like crying on cute boys, s'all." 

Kevin grinned lopsidedly and felt compelled by some unidentifiable yet strong force of the universe to kiss him. He leaned in slowly and gave him ample time to back away, but was met halfway by Elder McKinley springing forward and capturing his lips. Kevin melted into the embrace immediately and wrapped his arms around the man's neck, kissing him like he was his supply of oxygen. It was almost as if everything he'd previously experienced was mind numbing filler leading up this, because he'd never felt so utterly happy and  _complete_ than in this moment. 

He eventually realized that Elder McKinley couldn't  _actually_ provide him with oxygen and reluctantly pulled away, gasping for air. They smiled against each others mouths as they breathed heavily, and, once catching his own breath, Kevin smooched the side of his jaw and peppered a series of kisses down his neck. 

Elder McKinley laughed and listlessly swatted at his arm as Kevin blew a raspberry in the dip beneath his collarbone. "Stop, stop, I hate you," he whined between giggles and gently pushed Kevin away. 

"But I love you- uh, I'm sorry, I don't know your name." Kevin pouted, his eyebrows scrunching together in frustration at not knowing the name of the person he'd unabashedly declared his devotion to. 

Elder McKinley visibly relaxed and let out a short breath. "It's Connor," he said, grinning.

"Kevin," he replied, beaming back at him. "Nice to meet you!" Kevin held out his hand for Connor to shake, ironically reminiscent of how he was trained to greet those he was looking to convert. A part of him wondered how his family would react if they knew their son used the special handshake to greet his soulmate who happened to be male, yet he realized their opinion wouldn't much matter.  

"We've met." Connor rolled his eyes lovingly but still took Kevin's hand and shook it. "And for what's it worth, I love you too, angel." He only seemed to realize what he said once noticing the colour that'd spread across Kevin's cheeks. "I'm sorry, are you okay with me calling you that?" He wrung his hands together awkwardly. "I can just stick to Kevin, if-" 

"No, no," Kevin sputtered quickly, shaking his head. "That's fine! You can call me whatever you want." 

"Okay, Whatever-You-Want," Connor giggled and pressed a kiss to Kevin's cheek. Kevin laughed and turned his head to meet Connor in a messy kiss. He soon lost track of his purpose for being there, a Mormon inside a mission hut in Uganda blatantly defiling the rules drilled into his mind since birth, and allowed himself to exist somewhere between time, where it was just he and Connor. 

//

"I was always worried I'd never find my soulmate," Kevin mentioned later as they relaxed on the couch with soft moonlight beaming in through the parted curtains, his head resting on Connor's lap as he idly played with his hair. They'd slunk into the living room after the others retreated to bed and Connor, when asked about his absence, fed his companion a lame excuse about filing paperwork.

"I knew I'd meet you. I just didn't expect it to be... well, y'know, like _this_." 

Kevin hummed in agreement and let his eyes flutter shut as he nuzzled his cheek against Connor's thigh. "I wish we'd met at Disney World instead of frikin' Uganda," he said through a yawn. 

" _I_ wish your name was Ariel, because we were-" Connor stifled a laugh- "mermaid for each other." Kevin groaned and playfully swatted at his knee as Connor burst into laughter at his own joke. "Cheesy pick up lines don't work on me," he informed as he squinted up at Connor through narrowed eyes. 

"I don't need to pick you up if you're already mine," Connor said and shot him a wink. Well, Kevin certainly couldn't argue with  _that._ "Touché," he murmured as he ducked his head before Connor saw him blush. Again. 

They lapsed into a serene silence, content to remain quiet while Connor carded his fingers through Kevin's hair. After a bit, however, the question that had previously bugged Kevin popped to the forefront of his mind, and he elected to ask before he fell asleep and forgot again. 

"What did you mean when you said you missed me?" Kevin asked softly. He instantly felt the hand in his hair stiffen and looked upwards to Connor, who was staring blankly at the wall ahead of him. 

"Connor?" He sat up and waved a hand in front of the man who blinked and turned to face him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tell you so soon," he said slowly, as if unsure of his words. He peered down at his empty hands and swallowed before continuing. "I... I remember you-  _us,_ really. From other lifetimes." 

Kevin felt as though the wind had been momentarily knocked out of him, even though, deep down, he knew it shouldn't have come as much of a shock. It was commonplace that one out of a pair of soulmates remember their past lives, and since Kevin never had the dimmest flicker of a memory... well.

"Since when?" 

"Since forever," Connor replied, laughing a bit. "I've always had these vague memories in the back of my head since I was in kindergarten, and they've only become more vivid as I've grown up." He smiled to himself, a sweet, endearing sight that Kevin wished he could capture in his mind and never lose like he apparently had so many times before. "I- gosh, this is gonna sound insane, but I used to keep this journal beside my bed to jot down all the dreams I had with you in them." 

In that instant, Kevin felt more loved than he had perhaps his entire life, yet it was overshadowed by sadness that Connor had spent his life embracing his existence while Kevin himself sometimes denied the simple fact that he had a soulmate. 

"I'm sorry I don't remember anything," Kevin apologized sheepishly. 

"It's not your fault. You've never been able to," Connor responded, smiling sadly at him. "I gave up trying to jog your memory because it was just... too painful for you to try to remember things that weren't there." He reached up to brush stray strands of hair behind Kevin's ear and tentatively cupped the side of his face. Kevin felt his chest flutter and leaned into the touch, to which Connor smiled softly, his eyes kind and lacking any trace of deceit that Kevin had come to expect from most people he'd been raised around and by. 

"It's probably best that you don't remember." Connor's expression noticeably fell as he spoke again. "We're always..." he trailed off and vaguely gestured between them, as if it could explain what he couldn't garner the courage to verbalize. "The same as this." Kevin, thankfully, seemed to understand and let out a tiny "oh." 

"Yeah." Connor rubbed the side of his arm uselessly. "It's gotten bad before," he said simply and closed his mouth, clearly not caring to elaborate any further. 

Kevin winced at the implication. He couldn't- didn't _want-_ to imagine how they must've been treated in the past. Hell, he knew they'd have to be careful even now, and that revealing this to anyone would be grounds for excommunication. Kevin, however, couldn't muster up the will to currently care, too overwhelmed with guilt over Connor being plagued by memories of things he himself couldn't fathom. That he loved and held out hope for Kevin despite all the things he knew and lived through. 

"Can you tell me?" He blurted, blindly grabbing Connor's hand. "I can't remember, but you can let me know so we're on the same page." 

"I don't know, Kevin," Connor said, averting his eyes to look at the coffee table. 

"Please? It's not fair for you to carry that kind of burden by yourself," Kevin pleaded. "At least let me help. That way you can... I dunno, have someone to relate to?" 

"You really never change, do you?" Connor murmured as he closed his fingers around Kevin's and held their entwined hands to his heart. "You always say that." His eyes glistened with unshed tears in the moonlight, though they were quickly blinked back before any could fall. 

"In my defense, I don't know whether that's a good or bad thing," Kevin said in a feeble attempt at lightening the mood. Connor chuckled softly. "Both," he answered before leaning forward to peck Kevin on the lips. "If you're anything like yourself, you're arrogant, entitled and a hotheaded asshole. But-" he put a finger to Kevin's lips as his face twisted in offense- "you're also brave and ambitious and unwaveringly kind and everything that's good in this world."

Kevin's face froze somewhere between irritation and softening, never having received a compliment immediately after being called out for his negative traits. In all honesty, he wasn't too used to being called out for anything in general. "You're sweet, but screw you," he laughed, yanking his hand away from Connor's hold. 

Connor scoffed in mock offense. "What happened to peace, love and unity?"

"Whaddya mean?" 

Connor inhaled sharply. "You're sure you want to know?"

"Yes?" Kevin drug out the word and cocked his head to the side. He suddenly felt unconfident in what he was truly asking, but Connor had opened his mouth again before he could protest. 

"We were hippies once."

"Wha- no, you're kidding, right?" Kevin asked incredulously, his voice noticeably higher in pitch. He ran a hand through his hair, unable to imagine functioning with a long, stereotypically hippie cut. 

"If my dreams are anything to go by, we met at Woodstock and your 'spirit name,'" Connor rolled his eyes and made airquotes, obviously harbouring annoyance from something that transpired decades ago, "was Sunshine Rainbow." 

"Oh my gosh," Kevin groaned and hid his face in his hands, beyond embarrassed over something he'd never do but technically  _did._

Connor patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Don't even get me started on all the drugs you-"

"Okay, okay, no! I'm good!" Kevin covered his ears and shook his head manically, much to Connor's amusement. "I'll spare you the details," he promised through breathless laughs. "For now, at least."

Kevin's eyes lit up as he thought of something considerably less awful and popped up to face Connor once more. "Were we ever brothers?" he asked innocently.

Connor stopped laughing and lifted a disapproving eyebrow. "Kevin, that's disgusting." 

"No! I mean-" he paused to inhale a steadying breath, berating his inability to ever word things correctly. "In Christ. Were we ever Mormons?" 

Connor appeared momentarily relieved before grasping Kevin's shoulders and staring into his eyes intensely. "We are the literal reincarnations of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young," Connor said in the most serious tone imaginable. 

"Get  _out,"_ Kevin groaned, pushing Connor backwards as he burst into laughter. 

"Oh God, your face!" Connor managed once composing himself. "Honestly though, I couldn't tell you. I know  _of_ all the lives we've lived, but the details are always hazy in most of them besides the one we just came from." 

"So... the hippie timeline?" 

"The hippie timeline," Connor affirmed, to which Kevin groaned once again and buried his face in his shoulder. 

"I can't believe you've thought of me as some hippie stoner for the past nineteen years. I'm a Mormon, for crying out loud!" 

"Hey, it's okay," Connor assured, rubbing small circles into his back. "I know it's confusing and freaky, but you don't have to think of it as  _you._ I know I'm a completely separate person with different wants and goals than the ones I remember being. It's just an extension of yourself. Like... that weird second cousin who only comes around to steal food on Thanksgiving, but is always hovering in the back of your mind." 

A beat of silence passed. "So I'm not actually Joseph Smith?" 

Connor laughed, a high noise somewhere between a snort and scoff. "Who said you weren't Brigham Young? I never specified." 

Kevin laughed wholeheartedly and leaned up to smooch Connor's cheek before wrapping his arms around his midsection, sinking further into him. Connor pulled him closer onto his lap and rested his chin atop his soft mess of hair. A wave of exhaustion overcame him as Connor kissed the top of his head and tenderly brushed his fingers through his hair. 

"What if you come back as a Mormon hating atheist?" 

Kevin tensed at the joke that unintentionally hit a bit too close to home, preferring not to reveal his doubts about his faith. "What if I come back as a murderer?" He instead mumbled into the fabric of Connor's nightshirt. 

"I'd report you to the police but I'd still love you," Connor answered honestly. Kevin hummed and murmured a sleepy, nearly incomprehensible iteration of "I love you, too." 

Kevin wanted stay up and learn about the man who seemed to know so much about _him_ over the course of many different lifetimes, but whom he personally only knew the name of- yet sleep gnawed at his consciousness, making it increasingly harder to form coherent thoughts. The sounds of Connor humming a tune resembling a nursery rhyme he'd heard once but didn't know where from quickly lulled Kevin to sleep. Connor got as comfortable as he possibly could on a stiff couch with someone his weight curled atop his lap and kissed Kevin's forehead before drifting off himself, for once not dreaming of white hospital walls but rather sticky sweet dates at cafes with syrup smiley faces adorning pancakes.

**Author's Note:**

> HAHAH wonder what that last sentence is alluding to ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ probably something sad knowing me. 100 brownie points if you get anywhere near guessing correctly. (i promise it's not a falsettos reference sjdjsjd i wasn't alluding to any specific source material)
> 
> i intended for this just to be a quick and simple oneshot but i got so many ideas while writing it and now... who knows!! if you liked this and / or wanna see more please leave kudos or drop a comment to let me know!! i'll give you my firstborn child, thanks


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